Funfetti & Sprite cupcakes - from Pinterest

I tried a new cupcake recipe from Pinterest a couple weeks ago because the photo made them look so yum-licious!  You take a can of Sprite Zero and a box of Funfetti Cake Mix and bake the mixture.  Then, make frosting from Cool Whip and two small boxes of French Vanilla Jell-O Pudding.  Sounded easy enough for me!  And we were bringing birthday treats to work that week, so I tried them out.  

Yummy in my oven!



Here's a picture of the frosting mix.

Result: Just okay.

They turned out to be okay, not great. I think the biggest problem was that the frosting wilted a bit; I should've put them in the fridge immediately after frosting them and then writing the letters later. Overall, I probably wouldn't make them again, but they could be handy for a low-ish calorie snack.  

  

I used some icing that I had at home to write Happy Birthday

Feeling uninspired & other goings-on

I have not had the inclination to write lately. Maybe we've been too busy? Nope, that's not it. I've been at home every night for the past week (Thank God for some time off from busy-ness). Has there been nothing happening in our world? With three kids under five, that could NEVER happen. I have been working on crochet projects all week and purposefully leaving them at work so that I don't get lazy at home and sit on the couch for three hours working on them. They are not priority right now. I am crocheting a baby hat (first one ever) and it has proven to be more involved than I realized. If I had read the pattern thoroughly the first time, I wouldn't have had to start over twice already. But this is not for any baby in particular at this point. I just wanted to learn how to do it. But, if it fits Calah Joy, she can have it. If not, I have several friends that are having babies this summer; I'm sure someone can use it. It's white, so gender is not important. I am also crocheting a baby blanket for one of said friends. She's due in late June, so I have plenty of time. But I enjoy crocheting and get sucked in by it for hours.

Instead, I have been coming home to eat dinner and then working on laundry, washing dishes, and other general pickup areas. Hubs has been out just about every night for fundraising discussions or children's ministry work and I always seem to be more productive when he's not home. I think it's a combination of reasons, really. I don't have the luxury of vegging out on the couch with him when he's not there; I have to do everything by myself or it won't get done when he's not there; I want him to be pleased with how the house looks when he gets home. Each night that he's been gone, I've done the basics (see aforementioned chores) and once those are done, I've been able to do a little more deep cleaning/organizing.

We have been alternating turns on going to the gym in the morning before I leave for work and on the days he is at the gym, I still get up a little after he leaves and have time to get everything ready for the day plus picking up and throwing in some laundry or surface wiping since I usually have some extra time. Great stress relief for me. My fitness goal for 2013 is to average two days at the gym per week. Week one, I went once. Week two, I went once. This week, I went twice! I am proud that I have gone to the gym at least once in each of the past three weeks as that is major progress for me. However, until volleyball starts (2/25), I am trying to get to the gym M, W, F; cardio/lifting M, F and swim W. So I have some improving to do. Each morning that I've actually gotten myself out of bed early enough to get to the gym has been a huge struggle. Hubs had to just about push me out of bed this morning. And I went to bed earlier than normal. It's going to be a constant struggle, I just know it. I am a morning person, but if I can find an excuse to stay in my warm, comfy bed, I will find it. When I leave the gym, I always feel happy that I came. I feel accomplished; energized. Ready to start my day. Pushing me out of my bed is one of the most loving things Hubs could have done for me this morning.

I have felt particularly bloated lately but I am only up a couple pounds from my last weigh-in on 1/8. I'm surprised because of how I feel and how tight in the belly some of my pants are feeling the last week. Not a feeling I like at all. I'm still down about 40 pounds since Calah Joy was born (I only gained 18 with that pregnancy) and I haven't been this weight since freshman year of college (1999, ouch). I am still proud of the weight loss but do not want to loosen my grip to let the pounds creep back up. I simply don't have pants that could fit me if I did. I have 15 pounds left to go and my goal is to get there by the beginning of summer, so it's definitely doable. The bigger elephant in the room is my baby belly that's still hanging on. You can go away now; I'm all done having babies. Really. I don't need you anymore. The breastfeeding weight loss I have experienced, for some reason, doesn't tighten my ab muscles and blast my fat. Hmmm...you mean I actually have to WORK OUT??

I am trying to figure out a good way to do the couch-to-5K program while it is still cold here. I am doing the treadmill twice per week at the gym but I need to add one more day of running. We are trying to work up to the local 5K on May 4th; we have done these before (3 in 2011 and 1 walk in 2012 hey, I was pregnant; cut me some slack:)) but I want to be able to run 100% of the race. My best time to date is 41 mins. and my new goal is 35 mins. But that means I'll have to run at least 2/3 of the race and walk the rest of the time.

My post started off about how I have been uninspired lately and took off in another direction, as always. I am famous for thought journeys. Anyway, I just haven't felt like there's anything funny or interesting enough to write about this last week. But I have enjoyed my nights at home with the kids and am really trying to take advantage of this short off-season before things ramp up in early February. Then, things will be crazy until the end of the school year.

Greg took a "last-minute" trip to the middle of nowhere over the weekend with the black IV staff for a short retreat; sounds like it was a great time for community and FD ideas.  The kids and I stayed in Friday night and I.did.NOTHING! Well, besides bathtime, taking care of the kids, cleaning up dinner, baking cookies, and a couple other little things.  But once they were in bed, I plopped down on the couch and watched TV and used the computer (although I don't even remember what I did) for a while.  Then, on Saturday, I pumped up my brave muscles and took the kids out to a few stores; mostly for groceries.  It was a challenge but as long as we weren't in a rush, there were no meltdowns (me OR the kids) and it was overall worth going out.  We stocked up on groceries for the next two weeks and a few extra things I needed for the house plus a new swimsuit since all I had were maternity suits and one that's pieced together and isn't really a swimsuit.  This one was really cute and has actual shorts, like biker shorts for my fellow children-of-the-90s, instead of the skirts.  It's from Sam's and was only $25!

On Sunday, we had to rush to VOP rehearsal after church and dropping the boys at grandma's house and grabbing a quick lunch. Does this happen to other people or is it just us:  we go into taco bell to order and the cashier talks to us for about seven minutes about her kids, etc... She was a super sweet lady and funny, too, but I knew we didn't have a lot of time.  It seems to happen to us every time we go out; people just approach us with the most random comments or questions.  I guess we look friendly; I'll take it.  I would love to be a blessing to a stranger and it's always a lesson for me in patience and not drawing into myself when I'm out in public. Jesus would purposefully take the time to go up to someone hurting or lost.  I need to keep my eye on His example.

Weekends & Fingerpaints

Weekends are so nice.  They're mini-vacations from the chaos of the work week.  This weekend, we all went to the Gathering to welcome our friend back into her home after 4-1/2 years. The boys had a lot of fun and I worked on my latest crochet project while socializing.  I got it done Saturday night, so I'll be posting a picture a little later today.  Saturday, we hung out at home in the morning and then Hubs & I had rehearsal for the alumni choir, so we took all three kids to my mom's house. FIRST TIME EVER.  After rehearsal, Hubs and I walked around downtown Naperville a little bit and ate at Lou Malnati's, one of our favorite pizza joints. The NFL playoffs were on in the restaurant and we got to watch about half of the Ravens v. Broncos game (Ravens won, BTW).  We had a nice time at dinner talking without interruption. Such a rarity with three children under the age of five.

Calah did well with my mom for a long time and then toward the end, she just wanted to be held.  That girl was tired! I think things went well overall and I'm hoping mom is up for watching them during volleyball which is starting in six weeks.  I'm starting a Couch to 5K program this week, so I need to figure out how to squeeze in three runs each week. I'm going to the gym M-W-F but I was hoping to swim on Wednesdays.  I may have to put that dream on hold until I get through the program.  The JJC 5K Walk/Run is on May 4th, so I have about 15 weeks to get in shape for that.  My best time in 2011 was 41 mins, coincidentally this was also the JJC Walk.  My goal for this race is 35 mins.  I think I should be able to do it but I want to make sure I work up to it so I don't injure myself.  The Leah's Front Line walk should be in May also, I believe. And I know it's fairly simple to find other races to sign up for in order to stay in shape.  My biggest target (quite literally, ha ha) is my belly fat.  Three c-sections in four years wreaks havoc on abdominal muscles!

The boys got to spend some time finger painting this weekend, too, which is always a good time.  I love how easily the paints cleans up, too!

Photos as promised

Last week, I cleaned out the cabinet that holds all of our cleaning supplies.  This cabinet was stuffed to the max with bottles and cans of different chemicals and we were actually using a whopping three!  The door handle had broken off and it was a fairly large cabinet, so we decided to get rid of it and streamline our mudroom area.

This is just one group of bottles that came out of the cabinet

Forgot to take 'before' pics, but here's how the space looks now.  Definitely less cluttered! I'm going to get rid of that cardboard box full of plastic bags once I get a hanging bag holder.



Ahhh...breathing is nice

The past couple of days have brought a new perspective to my life: SLOW DOWN. That took shape in some small things like getting up before 5AM to get to the gym before work yesterday.  I was tired, I left late, but I got there and I burned 150 cals, walked/ran 1.4 miles on the treadmill in 20 minutes, and worked my arms on two machines.  Once I showered and left the parking lot, I was fully awake and ready to start my day.  I didn't have to rush out the door to get to work, skipping deodorant (whoops!) or breakfast.  I have also stopped trying to run to my van at 4:00 every day.  It's a two to three minute walk from my desk and I decided to not try to cut that short.  So I walked the long way the last two days and I seem to still get home right around the same time.

The other thing that is helping me breathe is that right now, the house is fairly organized! It may seem backwards to most people, but dirt doesn't bother me nearly as much as clutter and chaos.  I feel like I'm locked in a closet with no hope of escaping.  My brain tingles and I want to beat my chest and tear my clothes (okay, maybe that's a bit extreme).  But this week, we haven't been rushing around after work every day and Hubs has put a lot of effort in, too! Benji said it best: "You organized and daddy cleaned" - that is the perfect way for our household to run.  I'm great at rearranging, purging, and using buckets or baskets.  But Hubs is great at the scrubbing, wiping, and deep cleaning.  That is the part I D-R-E-A-D! We make a great team now that we're on the same page.  This whole 'living simple' thing is really gaining momentum and will only be a success if we continue down this road together.

Last night once the kids were in bed, I decided I wanted to make a plastic bag holder out of some fabric I bought probably 13 years ago when I reupholstered a chair in my room at my mom's house.  I pulled out the sewing machine (I've never used one) and spent two hours trying to figure that out, failing, giving up, then deciding to crochet the plastic bag holder instead.  The only reason I was able to sit down and work on this without becoming overwhelmed is all the cleaning work that Hubs has done in the house the past couple days.  Remember the part about the tingling brain?  I also turn into a Hulk-like form and storm around the house declaring the 'ridiculosity' of this situation.  And he knows that.  Man, I love that guy.  So, I spent about an hour on the crocheting and got about 12-15 rows done. No, I don't count when I crochet. Yes, I realize it is a problem.  A problem that showed up after about 10 rows when I realized that I had been decreasing a row for the last 6 somehow.  I hill-billyed my way through it and am still deciding whether to keep it this way or just unravel back to the point where the problem started.  Regression is not ideal but producing a better product is worth the extra work usually.  I'll post pics of it tonight...and of the org. I did earlier this week :)

HOPE in the form of a short sale

Last night did not go quite like I had planned.  I had a goal to clean out the chemical closet (check), move in the new shelf (check), organize it (check - I still have two empty drawers!), and remove all the extra cleaning supplies (almost check - they're ready for transport), and wash/dry/fold/put away all the laundry - major fail.  I fed Calah when I got home, we ate dinner, hubs left, I cleaned out the closet. Then Kristen came over for a while to drop off some pants for me and to catch up.  The boys were going crazy and I was physically, and emotionally for some reason, exhausted.  When she left, I got them in bed.  And just like almost every day, they came out to go pee; then Jo needed a tissue; then Jo needed help with his blankets. In the meantime, Calah was screaming in her crib and Benji wanted to have conversations with me.  By the time hubs got home around 9, I was fried. Needless to say, I never even TOUCHED the laundry.  But it's all in hampers for a change, so I can deal with it.  Hubs thought his ExamOne physical was yesterday afternoon, so he cleaned up around the house.  It looked awesome - I was very impressed.  So, I cleared the dining room table back off after all my hard work.  Then, I wiped it with disinfectant wipes and set out place mats and Benji's foam Christmas Tree project that we bought the other night at Michael's (80% off - $1.72!) right in the center of the table.  With the clutter mostly gone from that room, I noticed how nasty the walls look around the table (thanks for your slimy hands, Jo).  I guess slob vision is a real thing.  It never even came into my periphery until last night.  And all the playdoh stuck into the area rug under the dining room table.  That's a big reason I am so anxious to move.  I want the kids to have a specified space to do art projects and to play without stepping over or around furniture, shelves, and buckets due to cramped space.  Also, that means that a high-traffic area such as the dining room wouldn't become the victim of crayons, tape, scissors, and the dreaded playdoh. 

That's where the HOPE comes in. I was feeling particularly frustrated last night thinking about our situation and the impending short sale.  But this morning, I read a little about short sales and got motivated and made a plan with Hubs to get the paperwork sent off to the mortgage company and to contact the realtor.  I also (re)made a list of things we need to put into storage while the house is on the market.  It is extensive, for sure.  But definitely necessary.  Once the items are out of the way, we can repaint every room (except maybe not the blue in the living room and hallway - maybe just some touchups), replace and install the trim, install the bathroom fan, caulk the tub, and fix the spiggot and repair the two drywall holes.  I think we can do all that for maybe $200 and ask a friend or two to help with the process.  It really shouldn't be too bad.

More hope came into my spirit this morning when I looked at Trulia to see where rental costs are right now. There are several attractive options in the $1000-$1200 range which should be doable by the time we get the house sold.  Hopefully, Hubs will be fully fundraised by that point and starting to draw a paycheck.  Our only debts will be student loans (and my 401k loan - if I leave CCI, I won't be paying this back) which will be done by the end of next year.  Not bad!  Thank you Lord for the hope that you have given me today.  Help me to continue to look to You and more often.

I forgot to take 'BEFORE' pics of the chemical closet, but I took a picture of all the stuff that was in or on it to give you an idea of just how much clutter there was.

This outdated browser won't allow me to post pictures but when I get home, I'll update this post and show you my mudroom in all its glory.  Seriously, it felt like a whole new space.  I also cleaned off the top of the dryer and the shelf/hooks above it. The tools are in a confined space and all the cleaning supplies that I need are in the caddy on top of the shelf for easy access. I probably won't be able to carry the caddy around because it's pretty heavy, but I can grab one or two bottles at a time very easily and it's open so you can see what's in there (i.e. motivation for me to keep it organized).

Yesterday, I came across a blog that did a series on weekly organization back in 2011. They did it again in 2012. Guess it's my turn now.  There's a printable where you can write down one org. project for every week of the year.  In the last two weeks while I was on vacation, I organized the following areas in my home:

1. Linen closet - I rearranged shelves by putting all the bedsheets together on one shelf, put the hand towels and washrags in a basket rolled up (w/a label tag), and the medicines on a shelf in baskets (also with label tags).  The bottom shelf is still not great but it works. I have Hubs' clippers, the foot bath, extra vases, first aid kit, extra smoke alarm, and extra blankets down there.  MUCH better!

2. Closet area with washer - I cleared off the top shelf that was accumulating a whole big wad of junk. Trashed some things, put some things in the garage, and I made it a shelf for tablecloths, cloth napkins, placemats, and beach towels.  The lower shelf is still all the laundry products and I cleared off  the floor and hung the small broom/dustpan combo with laundry bags next door, and simplified the cleaning apparati in that area.

3. The kids' room - I got rid of two huge bags of toys (some to OUAC, some to Goodwill) to make room for their Christmas presents.  I cleaned off the shelves in the closet and reorganized it.  The top shelf has some safety stuff and other items that aren't used all the time but are still necessary to keep.  The bottom shelf has the board games and photo binders.  On the lower shelves to the left (where they can reach) are some more toys and the coloring supplies.  I will be moving those at some point.  The brown shelf unit in the closet now has Benji's shoe bucket with his snow boots sitting next to it as well as all the puzzles.  In their room, the bookshelf is now cleared off for the nightlight and Mater alarm clock.  They LOVE that clock and want to set the alarm every night.  I'm glad it brings them so much joy!  I created a bucket that's like a toy box for the bigger but small toys in and they have a milk crate for all the cars.  That thing is F-U-L-L, let me tell you.  Under Calah's crib are a few storage bins with dinosaurs, race tracks, and their books.  Not the best place for the books but it'll work for now. 

4.  Dressers - I rearranged clothes in all three of the dressers.  Benji and Jo are sharing a dresser now and that's working out pretty well.  Once Jo is potty trained and can get himself dressed in the next few months, it'll be nice for them to be able to get up to the alarm and get dressed before they even come out of their room.  Calah has her own dresser now but the top drawer is for the cloth diapers and wipes.  The bottom drawer is for her PJs but is also being used for all the nebulizer medications.  They come in boxes so it's an easy fit.

5. Armoire - I took out the loads of sheets, pillows, and blankets out of the top of the armoire.  See #1 for where they went.  I put the extra paper towels, toilet paper, and kleenex inside.  I also put all the bandaids and ointments in a bucket inside the armoire because the bathroom drawers were just overflowing.

6. Bathroom drawers - I cleaned out the drawers and under-cabinet space in the bathroom.  The bottom drawer is still completely empty - imagine that! An empty space that didn't immediately get filled with stuff??  Unheard of, really.  The under-cabinet space has two buckets: 1. Cotton swabs and cotton balls 2. Extra shampoo/cond./soap - mostly the small ones from hotels.  The storage directly under the mirror has been streamlined as well.  All the extras got put into the baskets in the linen closet, so now there's only one thing of contacts and two (really three but I'm trying to get that third one out!) tubes of toothpaste and two small things of floss.

7. Our closet - This was probably one of the bigger reorganization spots.  I took everything out of the plastic drawer unit and reorganized it with some buckets and repurposed it.  There is actually an empty bucket in the bottom drawer right now so there is room for something new if needed. I put all my flip flops in two buckets.  I have around 10 pairs of flip flops and I can rarely find two that are the same.  I got rid of a couple pairs of shoes and now all my shoes fit in or on the shoe shelf.  Hubs got rid of four pairs of shoes (wow, go Hubs!) and now all his shoes fit on his two shelves.  I reorganized the clothing shelves in the whole closet and moved the jacket-type items away from the door area so that I can see my shoe shelf and drawer unit.  No hiding clutter there anymore! It's all exposed now.  I tossed some old bathing suit pieces and lingerie. I hung up a Command hook on the wall over my shoe shelf for the diaper bag to hang on.  Jo and Calah have their own shoe shelves and buckets and they have the most commonly used shoes sitting on the shelf next to the bucket for easy access.

8. What project should I hit next??  The desk area could use some major help.  Paperwork mountain needs to get demolished.  There's always something to organize, clean, or repurpose.  That's why I like the 52-week checklist: it keeps me motivated to always be making our home more efficient and cleaner.

Back to it

First day back to work after 16 days off.  It felt like a month; I think that's a good thing.  I'm excited to get back into my routine so I can be more productive on a daily basis.  However, I feel like I made good progress on certain areas in my home over the past couple of weeks. (I'll post pics later).  I realized that  I organize spaces that are normally unseen - like closets and cabinets.  But the areas that are out in the open are just sort of a free-for-all.  Not sure why that is.  Maybe because I feel like I can control the clutter in these smaller, hidden spaces whereas the kids (and dad) just fly through the open areas and set things down wherever they are.  I got a new storage cube bookshelf with six cubes.  Three of them are just open and the other three have fabric drawers.  I will have to actually fit things in them to know for sure but here are my ideas of what to put in/on them:

1. Fabric drawer of winter accessories such as scarves, hats, and gloves.
2. Shelf of extra soap and laundry detergent-type items
3. Fabric drawer of extra batteries and candles. Maybe I'll put flashlights in there and the crank radio to make a mini-emergency bucket.
4. Shelf of games and binders
5. Fabric drawer of bubbles and other small outdoor-type items
6. Shelf of scrapbook paper with a bucket of tape, scissors, etc...
On top: 1. caddy of cleaning supplies and 2. Hubs' smaller toolbag and new hardware keeper.

We also got new garbage cans over the weekend and they all have lids.  I'm excited about the prospect of the lids and the fact that they all match because it'll look more put-together and you also won't be able to see trash everywhere in our house.  PLUS, it won't enable us to overflow the garbage every week.  Just take it out already, would ya?!  Hopefully that will prevent splatter as well.  I'm reading all these org. blogs and just came across one talking about 31 days to staging your home.  We need to do this for the short sale.  But we need to call the realtor first.  However, Hubs and I discussed living more simply in 2013 as one of our goals, so we are purging (trash or donate) anything we know we don't need as well as anything that hasn't been used in a year.  Once we have the extra clutter out of the way, we'll be able to better identify some areas that need work.  We already know we'll have to repaint certain rooms and repair the two small drywall holes and fix the spiggot.  The only other item I know will have to be addressed is trim.  Replacing and installing trim in a few areas.  Then we can focus on cleaning and staging.  It's really difficult to do all this when you're still living in the home and especially with doing a short sale (prayerfully) and not knowing the timing.  Also, we don't know where we will live which is another stress that I've just put in my rearview for now.  Impressively enough, I have forced myself not to obsess or even think about that for the last week or so.  God has a plan for us and we need to just be still and watch for direction.

Tonight, I have plans to clean out the chemical closet and move it to the garage (or the curb, if I can convince Hubs) and put the new shelf unit in its place.  Since I already have purposes in mind for each shelf/drawer, it should be a pretty seamless process. I'll take before and after pics and post them tomorrow.  Super excited to purge/de-clutter and organize this home and especially excited that my husband is on board and at least semi-dedicated to keep it that way once it's all done.  2013, you are going to change us as a family, I just know it.

 

Year in Review

I remember gladly welcoming 2012 to come in about a year ago.  I don't remember why 2011 seemed to be so awful but I was ready to move on.  Well, 2012 was a year of ups and downs.  Hubs battled IDES, Sears, and the Treasure Chest over lost wages, our beautiful girl was born in May, we missed our first mortgage payment because I was on maternity leave, I got to spend my whole summer with my family doing lots of fun activities, we decided to short sale the house, and most significantly, Hubs lost his dad on 12/11 due to a heart attack.

2013 is already proving to be interesting - Calah is on her third day of a nursing strike and it is painstaking for me.  I hate pumping and I certainly don't want to do it while I'm at home!!  I am trying to be patient with her and figure it out together.  LORD help me!  Jo was tested for allergies last week and we discovered he is mildly allergic to dogs and that's it.  Encouraging for sure - he's on Singulair every day now indefinitely and seems to be doing better but I think he may have caught Calah's cold from last week.  He has dived into the terrible twos head first as of last week and he is very volatile. Benji was never this bad.  I could at least get him to take deep breaths and calm him down.  I feel like Jo doesn't understand what I say to him sometimes, so I just have to be patient and consistent.  We are not sure where we will be living once the house sells but we are putting it in GOD's hands and trying to be smart in the meantime and save up as much as possible.

Tomorrow will be another home day (I think that makes two home days since I've been home on vacation) and is sure to have plenty of things for me to do in the house.  I have been going through the house purging and reorganizing like crazy lately.  You'd think I was pregnant, lol. However, we still have a major clutter and mess problem at the moment.  Hubs started tackling the garage clutter yesterday and I have been going through boxes and boxes of clothes from the garage so we know where everything is and what we need to keep.  Then he can put them back in a good spot in the garage.  I have been getting some great ideas for home organization from some blogs that I've found and am really excited and optimistic about my ability to do it and keep it up.  Even in this small house.  I thought it wouldn't be possible because we have no space for anything but I have been finding ways to use the space more efficiently.

I need to get to bed.  It's 11:33PM and I'm planning to get up early and get to the gym.  I have our final weigh-in on Tuesday when I get back to work and I have probably gained five pounds over the past week.  So, I will need to lose about 15 pounds in the next week and with Calah not nursing, I'm not burning as many calories, so I'm a little pessimistic about this goal.  But, it's not the end of my journey.  I still have the rest of my life to work on this and I will get to 150 in 2013.